Oblivion
by Emilia Christine
Summary: For Riley Bates, moving to White Pine Bay was a chance for her and her family to start over. However, the family will find that White Pine Bay is not your average town, despite its peaceful facade. But trouble always finds its way into the Bates Family. [ON-HIATUS]


Hello everyone! So this idea has been something I've been planning for quite some time. This is a sisfic for Bates Motel and it will be covering all five seasons. The plan I have right now is for all the seasons to be contained in one story. However, this could change in the future. If you guys have any questions regarding the story, or my original character, you can head on over to my tumblr page, _emiliachrstine_ , and I'll answer them there! I hope you enjoy the story!

 **Rating:** T for basics: violence, romance and language. The rating for this story will match up to the rating of the actual show. Except for Norma's rape scene in the first episode, will not be graphically detailed in my story.

 **Pairings:** major - OC/OC, minor: Norma/Romero, Norman/Emma, Dylan/Emma

 **Warnings:** mild violence, language, romance, mentions of rape, alcoholism, incest and abuse.

* * *

It was rather beautiful.

The scenery of it all. It almost seemed like the picture-perfect view. With the waves in the distance, crashing onto the beach and then receding. It reminded her of the pictures she would find in art books or as decorations on the wall in someone's home. Staring out the car window, Riley felt a wave of peace come over her. It was a strange sensation. She hadn't felt like this in a while. Actually, she's hardly ever felt peace like this. And with all the hell she has been through the last six months, she was entitled to this feeling, at least for a little bit.

" _Riley."_

The voice of her mother snapped Riley out of her trance. She snapped her head over and looked up at her mom, who was gazing at her from the rear-view mirror. "Sweetheart, did you hear me?"

Riley straightened her back and slowly shook her head. "I asked, what do you think about this place? It's beautiful, right?" She reiterated, with that bright smile Riley saw on a rare occasion.

Riley had to glance out the window, out at the scenery one more time before she could answer. Slowly, she nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah it's really nice."

"Nice?" Norma repeated and then scoffed lightly. "You both are supposed to say this was the right choice. I mean look at this place!"

Riley pressed her lips into a thin line and then raised a brow. "Yeah, mom, you were right. This is definitely the right choice." She deadpanned.

"Yeah, you know, making both of us move when we had no say in the matter." Norman chimed in, also making a deadpan answer.

Norma eyed both her children and slowly shook her head, "You both are complete assholes, you know that?"

Riley merely snickered at her mother's declaration and turned her attention back out the window. While her mother and brother carried on a conversation, she kept her attention on the scenery. The site of the oceanside faded away rapidly as they finally made it into town. All the quaint little shops gave this town a dream like feel to it. Riley could only associate it to the perfect small towns that are depicted in stories.

The car strolled down a barren road, surrounded by trees. There were barely any houses in the direction that they were heading. Riley was startled out of her trance by Norma's voice.

"Alright you two, close your eyes."

Riley furrowed her brows and glanced over at her mom. "Why?"

"Just close your eyes," Norma glanced at her daughter through the rearview mirror. "Trust me."

The only thing she could do was comply. After letting out a sigh, Riley closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. She could hear the tires running over gravel and the car soon came to a stop.

"Keep your eyes closed!"

Norma excitedly instructed before exiting the car. Riley tilted her head and jumped slightly when her car door was opened. Norman gently took her daughter's arm and led her to stand next to Norman. "Not yet, keep them closed."

Riley shifted her weight to one leg and tapped her foot against the gravel. A few seconds ticked by when Norma finally gave them the clear to look. Her eye lids fluttered opened and were greeted to a rather surprising sight. The first thing she saw was a large dark, wooded mansion that was nestled on the hill in front of them. And closer to where she was, literally just a few feet, was a run down, mustard-yellow building that really needed some work done.

"What do you two think?"

Riley and Norman both glanced at each other, before facing their mother with a rather bland look on their faces. Norma caught onto it rather quickly. "It's a motel! And we're gonna run it." She finished with a rather proud tone of voice.

However, Riley was less than enthusiastic. "A motel? We're going to run a motel?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"We don't know anything about running a business, let alone, a motel."

Norma straightened her back, took a brief glance at their new home and then hopped off the car. "Well, we'll learn. That's the whole point of moving out here, right? To start over and learn something new."

With a casual eye roll, Riley answered her mother's question. Norman was still quiet, trying to assimilate himself with their new home. Neither of them looked that ecstatic which made Norma realize it was going to take more to convince her children that this was the right choice for all of them.

"Alright," she reached out for both their arms and began to guide them towards the steps. "Let's go and check out the house."

Riley was dragged up the stone steps, towards the house. As they inched closer towards the house, the size of the structure became even more prominent. She felt so tiny compared to it. The house they lived at back in Arizona wasn't nothing compared to this property. It was different. Definitely something that she needed to grow used to.

Norma pushed open through the two sets of doors and the three of them were standing in the main hall. The first thing that caught Riley's eye was the staircase to the right and then the family parlor off to the left. The interior was nice. An acquired taste for someone like her.

"What do you think?"

Riley, who took a quick scan of the room, was the first one to voice her opinion. "This looks like a second-rate Adams Family home."

Norma's shoulders dropped and her head tilted to the side. "Riley."

She shrugged in response. "You asked what we thought," Riley then gestured to her head, "that is literally the first thing that came to mind."

"It's not a _second-rate Adams Family home."_ The words fell from Norma's mouth with a certain disdain to her tone. "This place is beautiful. Just think what all of this," she raised her arms out and motioned at everything, "will look like once we get it all cleaned up and everything. It'll look amazing."

"You're right," after being silent for a while, Norman finally voiced his opinion. "It will look a lot better once we get settled."

"Yeah, well, you and mom seem to like this kind of décor." Riley commented quietly.

"Okay, come on," Norma motioned for her children to follow as she headed up the staircase. "I'll show you two the upstairs."

Once they reached the top, Norma reached for Riley and guided her into a room that was in the far corner of the home. "This is where your room is going to be."

Riley stepped into the dimly lit room and scowled at the bed—it looked more like a cot, and the worn down, dusty sheets that were covering the mattress. The walls were painted in a dismal dark greenish-grey color and the curtains needed a good clean, or just replace them all together. But, one thing that seemed to stand out was the vanity at the back of the room. Norma seemed to like it as well, as she strode proudly towards it.

"I picked this room for you because of this," she stood next to the vanity, a huge smile was plastered on her face. "You can put all your stuff here: your makeup, brushes, everything."

"Yeah, it's great mom." Riley had to admit, that was the only thing in this room that she really liked. Back at their old home, Riley would always spend time with Norma at her vanity. Both would put on makeup and Norma would even let Riley try on a few pieces of her jewelry. That was when she was little, that didn't happen so much once Riley had grown up. But still, it was a comforting and exciting thought that she now had her own vanity.

"You think if we get enough money, we can get new beds?" Riley half joked, but Norma took it in good spirits.

After a quick kiss on the cheek, Norma strolled out of the bedroom, towing Norman along with her. She left Riley to her own thoughts. Standing in the middle of the room, she took a moment to familiarize herself with it all. This was her new bedroom, in their new house, in a town she knew nothing about. The move itself wasn't that big of a shock. They moved around a lot during her childhood.

But, this time, _everything_ was different. Her father's death was what started the chain reaction that brought her family to White Pine Bay. Her entire body shook at the memory of seeing her father's body on the ground. All the blood that was seeping from his head.

Riley shook her head, in an effort to rid of the image, and quickly gathered herself. "Stop thinking about it." It was futile. Walking in to find your father dead isn't something that easily forgot. The best she could do was push it away, as much as she could. But, even that will be hard to do, because every time she looked at Norman, all she sees is her father's dead corpse.

She had to keep busy. They were in a new home, that needed some work done. Surely there will be plenty of things for Riley to do, to keep herself occupied.

That's why they came out here, for a fresh start. Might as well start now.

* * *

It was tedious work. Most the day was spent stripping their beds of the old sheets, placing on new ones and dusting, as much as possible. Riley had never encountered so much dust before in her life. Almost like the previous owner did no work in keeping their home tidy and neat. A shame really. After spending only a few hours here, the new home was starting to grow on Riley. It wasn't a lot, but enough to make her feel more settled.

The next step, was to bring in all of their bags and suitcases. Riley and Norman did most of the heavy lifting, much to their jointed annoyance. Carrying a large suitcase up those steps was brutal. Riley could already imagine that she would be getting a good workout every time she walked up those damn steps. But, the payoff was worth it. Putting all of her clothes into the drawer and placing her accessories around the room, it made it feel homelier. Like she was back in her room at their old house.

It was strange. She missed her old home, yet she was glad that they got out of there. That might even translate into, _I'm glad my father is dead,_ which is fairly harsh and surprising. Did she miss him? It was complicated; however, her father was a simple man. He loved alcohol, sports and smacking her mother around. If Riley were to describe her father, it would be; a drunk, abusive, asshole who hardly gave a shit about them. He wasn't much of a father, but he was all she had. He didn't exactly uphold a strong model for what a father, or man, was supposed to be. Yet, he was still her father. So, that has to account for something, right?

This was a debacle she had been facing for the last six months. Yes, finding her father dead in their living room was horrifying and traumatizing. But, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were all better off without him. God, that made her feel like a shit human being.

She pushed the thought away. Why dwell on it any longer?

It was around six, there was still unpacking that needed to be done, but after seeing how withdrawn her children were, Norma suggested dinner in the village. Plus, they had to stop by the store to buy new light bulbs. Neither kids argued against it. They were starving.

They piled into the car and drove into town. The first place they stopped at was the local store. The only things on the list were light bulbs and new curtains for Norman and Riley's bedrooms. Norma insisted, at the last minute, that the drapes in their rooms should be switched out. Norman settled for a darker color, while Riley went for a lighter shade. Her room was too dark, she needed to liven it up a little.

After everything was paid for, they dumped the newly bought necessities into their car and made the short walk to the local diner. It was the dinner rush and the place was packed. Luckily, they were able to claim a booth. Norma sat on her own, while Norman and Riley shared a bench. Their waitress bustled over to them, hair a little disheveled, but there was a radiant smile on her face. Before she could introduce herself, Riley spotted her nametag with the name 'Katie' on it. She looked to be about Riley's age, no older.

They started with the drink orders and as Katie memorized who wanted what, she decided to make small talk. "Are you three new here? I've never seen you around town."

Norma smiled, deciding to take on the question. "Yes, we are. I'm Norma Bates and this is my daughter Riley, and my son Norman."

"We just moved into the Seafarer." Norman added, almost like he was itching to get a word in.

Katie's eyes widened with realization and let out an exasperated, "Oh," before continuing. "You're the ones who bought the motel. That was all anyone talked about for about a week. That comes with living in a small town, pretty much anything is big news."

They could only nod in agreement.

"You haven't run into Keith Summers, have you?"

Katie's question threw all three of them off. Norma leaned a little closer, inquisitive of her question. "No, what about him?"

"Oh," Katie gave a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders, "he was the former owner of the house, wasn't too happy when he lost it to the bank. Not exactly the kind of guy you'd want a visit from."

Riley blinked and stared off after hearing Katie's statement. "I'm sure he'll have his senses gathered." Katie assured them, realizing that she might have set them off. "I'll go get your drinks and will be back to take your order."

Once she as gone, Riley cleared her throat as she skimmed through the menu. "You think we should be worried?"

Norma, who seemed a little distracted, merely shook her head. "No, I'm sure everything will be fine. The house is ours, he can't do anything about it."

Riley clicked her tongue, "Not exactly a reassuring thought."

Their order was placed upon Katie's return and the three of them ate at a leisurely pace. They spent a lot of the time talking. Actually, Norma was doing most of the talking. She was giving Riley and Norman a list of things they needed them to do around the house. Since they both start school the next day, it would have to be after they got home.

Throughout the duration of their meal, Riley would watch Katie as she conversed with a family of five at another booth. From the way, she was talking to them, Katie seemed to have been close with them. That suspicion was confirmed when Katie started joking around with the two eldest boys. They were most likely friends. At one point, Katie pointed over at their booth and for a split second, Riley made eye contact with one of the boys. He had dark hair that was hiding under a beanie and she could only imagine that if he were to pull it off, his hair would be a mess. But, in a moment of untamed thoughts, Riley came to the conclusion that he would have been able to pull off a messy hair look. he had the most casual smile she had ever seen from anyone. Riley had to look away fast before it would become awkward.

When the meals were finished, Norma was confused as to why their check never came. It wasn't until Katie came to get their plates, did Norma ask her about the check. Katie merely smiled as she gestured over to the family at the other booth.

"Your check has already been paid for."

That was odd. They had just moved to this town, they didn't know anyone. Why would this family pay for their meal? While Norma smiled her gratitude, she glanced over at her children, completely complexed by it all. Norma quickly set out a tip, a rather hefty one, and got up from the booth. Riley and Norman remained in their booth, silently watching as their mother approached the family. They should have followed her. But, for some reason, they didn't think to. They both watched, inquisitively, as the conversation became a lot more casual. Their mother laughed, along with the parents, even the kids were sporting smiles.

"She's really being friendly, isn't she?"

Riley, who kept her eyes on the group, scowled for a moment at her brother's question. "Why is that such a bad thing? We're new here, might as well try and make some friends."

Norman sulked more into his seat, not daring to retort with anything. It was only a brief moment, or two, when Norma finally motioned for the two of them over.

"That's our cue."

Riley slid out of the booth, with Norman towing closely behind. That boy she had made eye contact with earlier, was staring at her again. She bit the inside of her cheek, _calm yourself, act normal._

But, once she and Norman reached the table, they were greeted by genuine smiles by the whole family. And it was infectious. Riley found herself grinning at these new friendly faces.

"These are my kids. My son, Norman and my daughter, Riley." Norma gave a quick introduction. Norman and Riley both nodded and said their greetings to the entire family. And she took noticed that the father was a police officer, judging by the uniform and badge. He was definitely off duty at the moment.

Then, the father, Oscar, went around the table, introducing every person. There was his wife, Allison, their children: Lucas and Jessica. And then, Oscar's nephew, Adam. They appeared to be a very well rounded, well-adjusted family. They seemed less dysfunctional than her own. Although, she shouldn't judge everything by its cover.

"It was really nice of you to pay for our dinner," Riley directed her attention towards Oscar and Allison. "You really didn't have to."

Both Allison and Oscar shrugged it off. "It was no big deal," Allison said. "You guys were new in town, so I guess you could consider it a welcome gift."

"Well, as a way to repay you, once we get settled in, you should come over for dinner. I would love to have you all over."

"We'll definitely take you up on that offer." Oscar accepted Norma's offer.

"Great." Norma checked her watch, seeing that it was probably best if they left right now. "Well we need to head back home. There's still a lot of unpacking to do plus, these two have school tomorrow."

Right. They had school tomorrow. Riley only wished that she could just stay home tomorrow. At least to have an extra day to just lounge around the house. But, no. That wasn't going to happen.

"Guess we'll see you two at school." One of the boys, Lucas, spoke up and Riley managed to smile in her agreement.

"Yeah, see you there."

After saying their goodbyes to the rest of the family, the three of them waved goodbye to Katie and headed out the diner. "See you're already making friends."

"What?" Riley asked, but she only saw her mother's smile. "I highly doubt having a very small conversation with them, condones the start of a friendship, mom."

"Oh, come on Riley. Try to start thinking more positively."

….

By the time _11:30_ rolled around, everyone was gearing down for the night. Riley waited until the last minute to jump into the bath. She didn't soak in the tub for long. She was rather exhausted and wanted to get to bed as quick as she could. After drying off and slipping into her night clothes, Riley sat at her vanity, running a brush through her dampened hair.

There was a knock at her door, and she called out, "come on."

In the reflection, she could see her mother peering in from the hallway. "Can I come in?"

Riley creased her brow and turned to her mother, "of course you can."

Norma slipped in and took a glance around her daughter's room. There were still bags that needed to be unpacked. But, the room looked more settled in, than before. "You ready for school tomorrow?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

Riley shrugged. "Six months ago, my brother killed my dad. It's not exactly gonna be a normal thing to just walk around school with that in my head."

Norma hesitated and then took a seat on the edge of Riley's bed. "Riley, you need to be careful when you say that."

"I know." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Norman can't know."

Norma stood up and stood next to Riley, smoothing her hair back. "How are you? I mean, really."

"I don't know." Riley answered. "I really don't know how I feel. Just sometimes, I just stare at Norman, thinking about what happened."

"It's gonna get better." Norma said, it sounded more like a promise than anything. "We came here for a fresh start. That's what we're going to do."

"Yeah."

Norma could detect the doubt in her daughter's voice. It was the same doubt she felt about the decision to come out here. The main reason for the move, was to give Riley and Norman a new second chance. To move past what happened and to live a better life. That's all she wanted for them. "Okay, well, get some sleep alright? I'll see you in the morning."

Riley watched Norma stride over to the daughter, but something lurched in her stomach and she spoke up, "Hey, mom." Norma paused and turned back to look at Riley. "I know these past few months, I've been a real pain. You know, with not wanting to move. And, I'm sorry."

"Riley,"

"You're doing all of this for us, and I only fought you on it."

"Hey," Norma knelt down next to Riley, taking her hand into her own. "This was a big change for you, I understand. You and Norman have been through so much. You don't have to apologize. The only thing I want is for you to like it here and to be happy, okay?"

Riley nodded. "Alright." Norma smiled, stood up and kissed Riley on the forehead. "Get some sleep."

Riley watched her mother leave the room. And when the door clicked shut, she turned back to the mirror. She stared into her reflection, thinking about school tomorrow and how much she was dreading it.

* * *

The first alarm went off at _5:00_ a.m. She didn't get up.

The second alarm went off at _5:30_ a.m. Still, Riley didn't get up.

She slept through the next few alarms, until finally, at _6:45,_ did Riley wake up. And she was going to be late if she didn't hurry. Riley threw the blankets off her body and hopped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. She just needed a quick shower. Once that was complete, she would be able to fly through with the outfit picking and making herself look as decent as possible. It was evident that she was in a hurry. Norman and Norma were downstairs eating breakfast, when all they could hear were Riley's footsteps going across the hallway. Norma had tried waking her up, but Riley was a rather heavy sleeper, which is why she always had a series of alarms set up.

In her room, she rummaged through her drawers and bags, and she managed to pick out a decent outfit. A pair of dark-washed, skinny jeans, a beige sweater and a pair of brown boots. A rather simple outfit. Usually she would have done something a little more…well, just a little more. But, she was in a hurry. There was no time for being picky.

She plopped down at her vanity, her hands still trying to dry her wet hair with the towel. Again, she didn't have much time. Riley stared down at her makeup and gazed up at her reflection. A simple face for today. She rubbed on her foundation, just enough to give her decent coverage, a little bit of mascara, and thin coat of chapstick.

 _There. I look decent enough._

With a quick brush and one final check over, Riley was ready to go. She grabbed her bag, phone and earbuds, and was out her bedroom door. On her way downstairs, she could her Norma cleaning up the kitchen.

 _Dammit, I missed breakfast._

Regardless, Riley turned and made her way into the kitchen. On the table, there was a plate of pancakes and a jar of peanut butter. "Good morning." Norma greeted, as she finished up the dishes. "You're up late."

Riley sighed and mingled over to the table. "Yeah, I know." She picked up one of the pancakes and smeared on a good layer of peanut butter. "Where's Norman?"

"He already headed out for the bus stop."

Riley dropped the knife back onto the plate, folded the pancake, and headed for the door, then called back, "I'll see you after school!" Before she closed the door, she could hear her mother say, "I love you."

Riley stepped out onto the porch, and shuddered. It was chilly and she could only think it fortunate that she chose to wear a sweater today. She took the steps as quick as she could, without tripping over her feet, and dashed for the bus stop. When she got closer to the stop, she expected to see Norman waiting, but she didn't. Riley gradually came to a stop.

"What the—" She made a quick sweep around her, there was no sign of Norman. Then, she hung her head back and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me." She pulled out her phone and began to type out a message to him.

 _Where are you?_

It couldn't have been the bus. There was still a few more minutes before it arrived. So, where the hell could he be?

Riley remained in her spot, which was standing on the side of a long, stretch of road. What the hell was she supposed to do now? If the bus came, should she just go to school? She had no idea where Norman was, he didn't answer her call, or text her back. She highly doubted that something bad happened.

"Fuck me," she whispered, vehemently.

The sound of a car approaching caught her senses, but she didn't turn to look. Riley just remained in her spot. When the car came to a stop next to her, she turned her head sharply to see who it was. The passenger window rolled down and Riley saw that it was Katie driving the car.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, well, my brother is supposed to be here, at this bus stop," she paused and glanced down at her phone. "But, he's not here."

"Oh," Katie paused and pursed her lips to the side. "You want a ride?"

Riley looked up and over at Katie, who only offered a smile. "Uh—you don't have to, I mean, the bus is going to be here…soon, I think."

"Yeah," Katie drew out the word. "But, I'm here already. That means you won't have to wait any longer."  
"I don't want to put you out."

Katie scoffed and shook off Riley's words. "You won't. I'm offering, aren't I?"

She was still skeptical. Riley still had no idea where Norman was, he wasn't texting her back. Odds are, he's probably already at school, hopefully. She might as well take Katie's offer. She made her way over to the car and got into the passenger seat.

"Thanks." Riley said, as she fastened her seat belt.

"No problem."

She reached for the radio and increased the volume. Riley's eyes widened briefly from how loud Katie turned it to. The entire car was vibrating from it. She looked over at Katie, with a curious eye. The young girl simply pulled on a pair of sunglasses and pressed down on the gas. Riley couldn't help but think, what the hell she got herself into?

* * *

She lived.

There was nothing for Riley to be worried about. About halfway towards school, Katie had caught onto Riley's look of concern. She had to assure the passenger that she loved playing her music loud. And that, no, she wasn't going to do anything to get them killed. That was a relief. Riley thought about something shortly into the drive. She had no idea who Katie was. They only had one decent conversation at the diner, but that was it. And she just casually got into this girl's car, without really thinking.

It's a habit. Riley usually just acts on the spur of a moment. Not really thinking about the consequences. This was something that Norma was always adamant, that Riley should try and control it. It's not to the point where she would run off with some guy she doesn't know. She has common sense. But, in harmless situations like Katie offering her a ride, she wasn't thinking much.

The important thing is, they made it to school. Great.

Riley felt a little antsy about being here. She and Norman came here at a pretty unfortunate time. This semester was already a few weeks in. Everyone already went through their first day together. Except for Norman and Riley. How awkward is that going to be?

Katie stayed with Riley the whole time. She showed her where the cafeteria was, the library, the open lab where students could print out anything they needed. And then, Katie showed Riley where her locker was. It was not that far from where Katie's was.

Riley wanted to dial out the combination, at least once. That way she could familiarize herself with it. It was rather sad, though. Seeing the empty locker. It was just a reminder that she was the sore thumb sticking out, the new face in school. She already garnered a few stares from students. This was definitely going to be a lot of fun.

"So, what's your first class?"

Riley closed the locker and looked down at the piece of paper that had her schedule. "Uh, U.S. History with Monroe."

When she looked up, Katie's face was elated. "Me too. You'll have at least one person you know in one of your classes."

"Yeah," Riley looked down and smiled. It was a rather comforting thought. Katie was so open and inviting, it was hard _not_ to like her.

They made their way towards their class, when Riley spotted Norman walking towards her. Her demeanor changed immediately, and she strode towards him. "Hey." Norman paused when he saw her. "Where the hell were you?"

"I, uh—I was just,"

"You were not at the bus stop when I got there. I thought something happened."

"Don't be ridiculous. Nothing bad happened," Norman faltered under Riley's gaze. "I got a ride from someone."

This made Riley confused. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head. "Who the hell gave you a ride to school?"

"This girl, Bradley Martin, and her friends."

"Bradley Martin gave you a ride?" Katie interrupted, with the most amused look on her face. Norman merely nodded his head, while stashing one of his hands into his pocket. That was something he always did if he was nervous or anxious.

"Okay, well, I texted you several times and I called you." Riley shrugged, "you couldn't have texted me back, or even called back?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I worried you."

"I mean, like he said," Katie spoke up again, "at least nothing bad happened. He just got a ride from someone."

Riley pursed her lips into a thin line, taking Katie's words into consideration. When she looked up at her brother, he was expecting more scolding on her end. But, she decided against it. "It's okay," she finally said. "Just, if it happens again next time, let me know, please?"

Norman nodded, eagerly. "I will, I promise."

"Okay," Riley nodded and sighed. "You better get going to class. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Riley." Norman paused to look over at Katie and smiled, "bye."

When he scurried off to his class, Katie and Riley continued on their way to history class. It didn't take long for Katie to speak up. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"I guess so."

"Norman, he's your older brother?" Riley nodded in response. "Pardon me asking, and feel free to tell me to shut up, but why were you so uptight with him just then? I mean, he's older, why is it a big deal?"

"It's always been like that. I've always been the one to look after him."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Yeah, I guess. But, this is different. I know he's almost eighteen, but I'm so used to looking after him. It's just an instinct of mine."

"Why is that though?"

Riley hesitated. She couldn't just blurt out the truth. It would raise suspicion. Finally, she just shrugged. "I don't know. It just is."

The way Riley spoke, made Kate shut up. She shouldn't be trying to pry into this girl's life. Especially, when the two of them hardly knew each other. She figured that it would be better to take smaller steps.

Riley got through history with a breeze. The teacher was nice, of course, she had to correct him with her name. She's registered as Samantha Bates, which is correct, but she always has gone by Riley. Unless she did something insanely stupid, then her mother would pull the full name card. Regardless, history was easy. There was going to be a test in about two weeks, but she was confident she would be prepared. History was always a subject that was easy for her.

Her next class: Literature, which she didn't mind. Once again, she went through the process of meeting the teacher, getting her text book. Except this time, Mrs. Simmons, asked Riley to introduce herself to the class. Riley would have preferred to not go through that, but she had no choice. God, how she hated it. The next class was philosophy, that went by really quick. And now, it was lunch time.

Riley was making her way to the cafeteria, when she heard someone call out her name. She turned and saw Katie hurrying after her. Riley greeted her with a smile. It was becoming very easy to be friendly with this girl.

"How have your classes been going?" She asked, a little out of breath from her trek.

Riley shrugged, "It was fine. Except, Mrs. Simmons _made_ me introduce myself."

Katie cringed and let out a low hiss, "Oh yeah, she's always like that. She has an extreme talent for making you want to just crawl into bed out of embarrassment."

Riley snorted at Katie's comment, but nodded her head in agreement. That's exactly how she felt after having to do her introduction. When they got into the lunch line, Riley suddenly felt like she wasn't very hungry, which was weird. All she had to eat for breakfast was a lousy piece of pancake with peanut butter. Not exactly the best meal to start her day on. She decided to go for something a little light. Just a plain ham sandwich and a fruit cup, which might not actually mix well. But, Riley didn't care.

After their food was obtained, Katie and Riley ventured out into the cafeteria with Katie leading the way, towards a table. And Riley was able to spot Lucas and Adam sitting down at one of the tables.

"Hello boys." Katie greeted them with an over the top cheery voice. One that a lot of people in the cafeteria would be able to hear. Riley was surprised by it, and she took notice that people were now staring at them. There's nothing like calling out in the middle of the cafeteria, where everyone will be able to hear you. But, the boys didn't seem to be annoyed, or surprised by it. They just greeted her with huge smile. Guess she does this a lot. And by a lot, it means every day they're at school.

Katie sat down on the bench across from Lucas and Adam. While Riley remained standing, awkwardly clutching her tray. When Katie noticed this, she gently took hold of Riley's elbow, encouraging her to sit down. She had to hand it to them. The three of them were very welcoming. It was such a contrast to the other students, who only greeted her with stares and hushed whispers. Maybe her mother was right. Perhaps, they were to be her new friends here in White Pine Bay.

She hadn't realized how quiet she had been. The only thing she did was sit down, without saying anything. That must have been a little uncomfortable. It was Katie who was able to snap Riley out of her trance.

"Riley," she nudged the girl next to her, making Riley jump. She looked over at Katie with expectant eyes. "Are you okay?"

Riley actually had to think on it for a moment, before answering. Of course, she was. "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Lucas opened his water bottle and focused his attention on Riley. "So, Riley, where did you move here from?"

"Arizona."

"That's pretty far away. Why did your mom choose White Pine Bay, of all places?"

Riley shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure. My, uh—my dad died, so my mom wanted to give my brother and I a fresh start."

The table went quiet. Riley didn't even comprehend what she said, until she saw their faces. The look of pure empathy that they were conveying. She felt completely embarrassed. She had to try and save the situation, but didn't know how to.

"Sorry about your dad." Lucas gave his condolences, thankfully, it broke the thick silence.

" _I'm_ sorry," Riley said, quickly. "I shouldn't have even said anything about _that._ "

"Nah, you're fine." Katie waved off Riley's apology. "You've just joined the club of absent fathers."

Riley was perplexed by Katie's words. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my dad died when I was four. Adam lost his parents a few years back, and Lucas' dad walked out on him and his mom when he was a baby."

"Thanks for being real sympathetic about it, Katie." The three of them merely laughed it off. But, Riley could spot the hesitation. There was no mistaking, they were all still effected by these events. She couldn't really blame them.

Riley narrowed her eyes at Lucas, nothing malicious about her look. "So, your dad we met at the diner, he's—"

"My step-dad. Yeah. But, it doesn't matter. He's my dad. The other guy is nothing more than an unglorified sperm donor."

Riley raised her brows at the choice of words. "So, you never tried finding him?"

Lucas took a drink from the water bottle and shrugged, nonchalantly. "There's no reason to. He left me and my mom. I want nothing to do with him."

She merely nodded and bit down on her lip. "Then, I'm very sorry for even bringing any of this up."

"You're fine," Adam assured. "We've all grown thick skin because of it. If you don't, then there's no guarantee you'll survive through it."

Riley huffed out a breath, her lips twitching in the faintest smile, "that's a really grim outlook on life."

Adam raised his eyebrow and tilted his head, "but, it's the truth."

"I guess so." Riley then shook her head, "let's talk about something more positive. So that we can get off the topic of fathers."

"You have any other siblings?" Katie took a bite out of her salad, "you know, besides Norman?"

"I do actually," Riley answered, as she began to unwrap her sandwich. "I have another older brother, Dylan, but he doesn't live with us."

"Where is he?" Lucas asked, while chewing on a fry.

"I don't know. He and my mom had a falling out about a year ago. And he just left. The last time I talked with him was about seven months ago, he was somewhere in Nebraska."

"And you haven't talked with him since?" Riley shook her head, to which Katie did as well. "That sucks. We're you guys close?"

Riley merely hummed her answer. Now all she could think about, was the night Dylan left. Some pathetic argument was spurred up between him and their mother. She doesn't even remember what the argument was about. Only the last thing Dylan said to Riley was that he loved her and kissed her on the forehead before leaving. Ever since he left, she felt completely alone. At this point, Riley had completely zoned out. The other three carried on with their sporadic conversations, leaving Riley to her own thoughts. She hadn't thought about it in a while, with her dad's death being the main thing she thought about. But, it didn't go away. She still missed him.

When lunch hour was finally up, her food remained untouched, and Riley discarded the food quickly. She wanted to hurry and get to biology before Katie or the others could spark up a conversation. Unfortunately, Riley had Biology with Lucas, although she shouldn't view it as an unfortunate situation. Lucas was really nice, and she had someone she could talk to in that class. But, at the moment, she didn't want to talk with anyone.

Thankfully, it was only a lecture day for Biology, she didn't really have to concentrate that much, even though she should have. The class was over before she knew it. She quickly gathered her things and sauntered out of the classroom, ready to tackle the last class for the day and go home. However, she did say goodbye to Lucas, ensuring that she didn't seem too much like a distant jerk. The last class of the day was Psychology, which Riley didn't feel anxious about taking. Much like her previous class, the only thing she had to worry about were lectures. This time, she made sure to actually take notes, and try to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. Although, multiples times throughout, she found herself drifting in and out of reality.

The final bell of the day rang and Riley bolted out of the classroom as fast as she could. She didn't need to put anything away in her locker. There was a bunch of homework she needed to do over the weekend. Despite her best attempts to evade anyone, Katie managed to spot Riley and caught up with her in time. The first thing she asked Riley was if she wanted a ride home. Riley thought about saying no, preferring to take the bus home, but ultimately agreed. They had to make a quick stop at Katie's locker so that she could switch out a few textbooks. That was when Norman approached Riley.

"Riley," she turned to her brother, offering a quick smile. "I need you to tell mother that I'm going to be home late tonight."

At this, her brows furrowed, "why?"

Norman shrugged as he started to back away, "I just need to do something for school tonight. Don't worry it's nothing serious."

Riley had been so preoccupied with her thoughts throughout the day, she didn't really care. She merely shrugged, "Okay, I'll let her know. Have fun." She should have asked what he was doing, but she didn't want to. It was something for school, therefore, Norman will be fine for a few hours. At least, she hoped that he would be.

The car ride home was "quiet", the only thing that was ever so present was Katie's music, which was blasting through the car speakers. This time, Riley didn't pay much mind to the volume. She just stared out of the car window, feeling like she was being a little too over dramatic. Leaning back in her seat, she blew out a sigh and resulted to humming along to _Titanium._

Katie pulled into the parking lot in front of the motel. Riley quickly gathered her things, when Katie decided to speak up. "You want to maybe get together and start studying for that history test?"

Riley paused, her eyes fixed on her house, after a beat, she finally answered. "Um, yeah sure."

"You got a pen?"

Riley didn't understand what Katie needed a pen for. Regardless, she dug into her backpack and handed Katie a pen. The girl gestured for Riley's hand, which she gave and Katie quickly scrawled out her number on Riley's palm. "Text me, alright. And we'll set up a day to start studying."

Riley stared at the number on her hand for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay. Thanks for the ride."

"No problem."

Riley slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the door. As she passed in front of the car, she gave Katie a wave goodbye, the other girl did the same before turning out of the parking lot and disappearing down the street. When Riley stepped into the house, she could see her mother vacuuming the living room. She closed the door behind her and called out, "hi, mom!"

Norma glanced up and smiled as she switched off the vacuum. "Hi, sweetheart. How was school?"

Riley shrugged, "It was alright."

Norma stepped out into the main hall, and her smile slowly disappeared. "Where's your brother?"

"Oh, yeah, he told me to let you know that he was going to be late tonight."

Norma hesitated, though Riley didn't notice it the first time. "Why? What is he doing?"

Riley, picking up on the shift of tone in her mother's voice, gave her mother a careful look. "He didn't say. All he told me was that he needed to do something for school."

"And you let him?"

Riley was immediately taken aback by her mother's question. "Of course. He's doing something for _school,_ he's not going to be in any trouble, he'll be fine."

Norma rubbed her hands against her pants and glanced nervously around her. "Do you have any idea how long it's going to take him?"

"No," Riley shook her head. "Mom, he'll be fine, I promise. Besides, it's about time you loosen the chain you have around him."

Norma took a step back and gave her daughter a pointedly look, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"Norman's almost eighteen, mom. He needs to go out more. You need to give him just a little more freedom."

"You know why I don't want him to do that."

Riley pursed her lips into a thin line and give a single nod. "Right, his blackouts. You know smothering him and trying to dictate everything he does is not going to end well. I've said it many times, Norman needs to see someone about these blackouts, they're not normal."

Norma instantly shook her head, "he doesn't need to see anyone."

At this, Riley leaned her head back and sighed in frustration. "The longer you let this continue, the worse it's going to get. And Norman's going to start getting irritated with you hovering over him so much."

"No, he won't. I-I'm just looking out for him."

"Whatever," Riley shook her head and started up the stairs, "I'm not in the mood to get into this with you."

"Well, good." Norma watched her daughter reach the top of the stairs, before shouting, "I'm not in the mood either!"

Riley merely waved her mother off before disappearing into her room.

* * *

At around _6:30_ , Riley had finished more than half the homework she was assigned for the weekend. She decided to take a small break. For one, it was dinner time, and two, her mind was literally going to explode if she didn't. Before she forgot, Riley saved Katie's number into her phone and sent her a quick text message. Just in time too. Norma called from downstairs that dinner was ready.

Placing her phone on her desk, Riley walked out of her room and made her way to Norman's bedroom. She knocked on the door before opening it, only to find that Norman wasn't there. _He must be in the kitchen already._ She casually walked down the steps and then made the small trek into the kitchen. However, upon entering, Norman was not sitting at the table.

"Norman isn't home yet?" Riley asked.

"No, he's not." Norma answered, sternly. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to leave him alone. Has he texted you at all?"

Riley shook her head, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm sure he's fine, mom. If something bad had happened, I'm pretty sure we would have heard something by now."

"Sit down and eat your dinner."

Riley thought about apologizing to her mother, but she ultimately decided against it. She understood why her mother was so overprotective of Norman. His blackouts are very disconcerting, but that doesn't mean she gets to dictate everything Norman does. He needs to be able to go out more, and not always with Riley by his side. Riley sat down and dug into her food, chewing slowly as she continued to think on the issue.

Norman was almost eighteen. Almost a legal adult. If Norma keeps crowding him, not letting him have some form of freedom, it's going to blow up in her face. And Norman could just walk right out the door. Though, knowing her brother, he wouldn't do that to their mother. Norma and Norman had always had this unique relationship, one that Riley would often feel jealous of. She felt like she didn't belong. And while Norma loved Riley and vice versa, Riley _always_ knew that Norman would come first. Above her and Dylan. That's how it's always been and she doubted that it was going to change any time soon.

Riley glanced over at Norma, who was sitting next to her, drinking from a wine glass. She hadn't even touched her plate yet. Still waiting for Norman to come home. Her eyes then glanced over at the plate Norma had set up for Norman. She's almost acting like he's never going to come home.

"Mom, he's fine."

Norma gave Riley a side glance and took another sip from her wineglass.

As if on cue, the front door opened and footsteps were impending towards the kitchen. Riley glanced up at the archway and saw Norman walk in, a sheet of sweat glistened on his forehead. _What the hell has he been doing?_

Norman sauntered over to Norma, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "Sorry, I'm late." He apologized quickly as he took his seat at the table.

Norma tapped her finger against the wine glass, "we've been waiting for you. Where were you?"

"I was trying out for the track team."

"Track team?" Both Riley and Norma questioned at the same time.

"Yeah, Ms. Watson thought it would be a good idea for me."

 _Ms. Watson?_ Riley curiously watched her brother reach into his backpack, as her mother voiced the same thing she was thinking. "Who's Ms. Watson?"

"She's my Language Arts teacher. She thought it would be good for me to get more involved at school." Norman sifted through his bag for a few seconds before pulling out a piece of paper. "But, I need you to sign this parent's permission slip."

Norma slowly picked up the piece of paper, her eyes scanning over the information. When they reached the schedule listed, she hesitated. "Honey, this is like every day after school. And track meets on Saturdays. We just bought a motel. Your sister and I can't get it up and running by ourselves."

Riley cleared her throat, she could spot the disappointment on Norman's face immediately. "Oh," Norman reached for the paper. "It's okay, I don't have to do it."

"No," Norma leaned away, "I'm not gonna be the kind of mom who says her son can't be on the track team."

 _Oh boy, here we go._

"No, it's okay. I'll just do everything myself, the way I _always_ do."

Riley had to restrain herself from groaning in annoyance. Here it comes. The guilt-trip. It was a tactic Norma always used on her kids whenever she wanted something to go her way.

"Mom, come on, sit down. Let's eat dinner."

"No, you know what Norman, I just spent all day, cleaning the house and doing all of this." There was a pregnant pause after Norma's words. Neither Riley or Norman thought to say anything.

"You know what," Norma bent down and signed the permission slip. "It's fine. It doesn't matter. I need to go out for some groceries, you two finish your dinner."

The two of them remained silent, well after Norma left the house. Neither of them touched their food. Riley could only tap her fork against the table, while Norman rubbed his hands against his legs. Something he always did whenever he was trying to relieve tension, or anxiety. Riley's eyes glanced over at the permission slip and it was enough to get her to say something.

"So, the track team?" She asked, looking over at Norman, who nodded his head. "I think it's a great idea," she continued. "Are you excited about it?"

Norman fidgeted in his seat and ultimately shrugged at her question. "It doesn't matter. I'm not gonna do it anyways."

"Why not?"

"Mother needs me here. She needs both of us to help get the business up and running."

Riley scoffed. She leaned her elbow on the table and rubbed at her forehead. "You do know that our mother is incredibly good at guilt-tripping, right?"

"No, she just-she just really needs our help right now." Both Riley and Norman could only stare at each other. Riley couldn't help but think about how much their mother has Norman wrapped around her finger.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine. It was a stupid idea anyway."

Riley could only offer a sympathetic smile. _It wasn't a stupid idea._

* * *

 _A/N:_ Hope you all like the first chapter! I don't have a update schedule for this story, most likely it will be a little slow. My primary focus is on my marvel fic. But who knows! My muse is always acting up! A review will be much appreciated!


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